Longitudinally adjustable shoe tree



y 6, 1952 F. c. TROUTFETTER 2,595,736

LONGITUDINALLY ADJUSTABLE SHOE TREE Filed Nov. 16, 1949 INVENTOR flea/77 57755 ATTORNEY Patented May 6, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LONGITUDINALLY ADJUSTABLE SHOE TREE Frank C. Troutfetter, Manhattan, Kans. Application November 16, 1949, Serial No. 127,704

Claims. 1 This invention relates to a shoetree. An important object of the present invention is to provide a novel and simple type of shoe tree which is capable of ready adjustment to be placed in shoes of different lengths.

A further object is to provide such a. device which lends itself readily to manufacture from relatively economical plastic by molding the parts, and wherein only two simple parts are required.

A further object is to provide such a device wherein the two simple parts are pivotally connected to each other in such a manner as to facilitate the forcing of the shoe tree into a shoe.

A further object is to provide such a shoe tree wherein the pivoting of the two parts is accomplished by aligned pins or trunnions which may be selectively arranged in a. plurality of pivot openings whereby the shoe tree is adjustable to shoes of different lengths.

A further object is to so form the part which carries the pivot pins as to facilitate the flexing of the pin-carrying portions of such parts whereby they may be flexed apart to disconnect the two parts of the device for rearrangement as to different adjusted lengths.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing, I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, the

outline of a shoe being shown in dotted lines and the rear part of the shoe tree being shown in broken lines in the approximate position of the parts when the-device is inserted in a shoe,

Figure 2 is a front end elevation of the device,

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view, portions of one of the elements being shown in broken lines flexed outwardly, and v Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numerals i0 and II indicate as a whole the two parts of the device, the part l0 being the forward or toe portion and the part II being the rear portion, as will be apparent. The forward end of the toe portion is shaped approximately to correspond to the toe portion of the shoe in which the device is to be arranged, the shoe in this case being a childs shoe and being indicated in dotted .lines by the numeral I2 in Figure 1. Rearwardly of the toe portion, which is indicated by the numeral l 3, the part or section I0 is offset inwardly as at I 4 and then extends rearwardly in substantially parallel side walls I 5, joined at their rear ends by an integral rear wall Hi. This rear wall, as shown in Figure 4, forms a downturned continuation of the top wall I 1 of the member 10. This member may be molded as an integral element from suitable plastic material and the side walls l5 are provided with a plurality of relatively closely spaced aligned circular openings l8 for a purpose to be described. These openings may be molded in the member I'D, or they may be drilled after the member I!) has been molded.

The part or section II is also preferably an integral unit molded of plastic and comprises a heel portion 20, an entirely enclosed ankle portion 2 I, and an upper preferably spherical knob 22 which may be joined to the ankle portion in a reduced neck 23 to facilitate the grasping of the knob 22.

The member ll forwardly of the heel portion 20 is provided with side walls 25 forming downwardly extending continuations of the ankle portion. Each side wall 25 is provided with a preferably integral pin or trunnion 2'6, and these trunnions are in alignment as will be apparent in Figure 3. The openings [8 are arranged in opposite pairs to selectively receive the pins or trunnions 2 6 as will be apparent.

The lower edge of the forward wall of theankle portion 2| terminates at the point 21, spaced above the wall I! (Figure 4). The lower edge of the heel terminates at the ,point 28. The forward edges 29 of the walls 25, the lower edges 30 of such walls and imaginary lines joining the points 21 and 28 define relatively flat triangular wall portions which are not connected transversely of the device and accordingly are subject to a reasonable degree of flexing. As suggested in Figure 3, this flexing ability increases toward the junctions of the wall edges 29 and 30 and the pins 26 are arranged adjacent such points.

Operation The pin-carrying portions of the walls of the member I l are flexed apart as suggested to an exaggerated extent in Figure 3 for reception in either opposite pair of openings i8 in accordance with the size of the shoe with which the device is to be used. Actually, the pins 26 are relatively short and little flexing is needed for the purpose stated and the side walls l5 and top I! may be joined in a curvature which will act as a cam if the pins 26 are pushed downwardly thereof. Thus, without the use of any implement, the pins may be spread apart for reception in either set of openings I 8.

When the device is to be inserted in a shoe, the member II will be swung relative to the member ID approximately to the broken line position shown in Figure 1. This will facilitate the insertion of the toe portion l3 into the toe of the shoe. When the device has been inserted as far as practicable in this manner, the operator will then push downwardly on the knob 22. The heel portion will then engage against the inside of the heel portion of the shoe and the latter will act as a cam to force the-device forwardly if the toe portion I3 is not already at its forward limit of movement. Two simple motions, therefore, are all that is necessary to insert the device in a shoe, and the device will hold the shoe in perfect shape until it is to be worn. The molding of the two simple parts of the device may be carried out quite inexpensively, and accordingly the device may be made and sold at a reasonable price. Even though the device includes only two elements in its preferred form, it is readily adjustable to shoes of different lengths.

Of course, the pins 26, if desired, may be made of a different material, such as metal, but this is wholly unnecessary since the pins easily and practicably may be formed of plastic integral with the member H. When the device is placed in a shoe, the contraction in the width of the shoe adjacent the pins 26 tends to prevent accidental outward flexing of the portions of the walls which carry the pins 26. Since the walls l5 and 25 are parallel, however, and since the pins 26 are perpendicular to the direction of force applied thereto when the knob 22 is pushed downwardly in the final assembly of the parts, there will be a negligible tendency for the pins 26 to spread apart.

I claim:

1. A shoe tree comprising a heel member and a toe member having longitudinally overlapping side wall portions, said side wall portions of said toe member each having a plurality of substantially horizontally aligned openings, said side wall portions of said heel member lying outwardly of said side wall portions of said toe member and being formed of material possessing a degree of resiliency whereby they may be flexed away from said side wall portions of said toe member, and

inwardly projecting aligned pins carried by said r wall portions of said heel member and selectively engageable in said openings to adjust the length of the shoe tree and to pivotally connect said members to each other, said heel member having an upper ankle portion provided with a forward wall, the lower edge of which terminates above said toe member whereby said heel member is free to swing upwardly and forwardly to a limited extent relative to said toe member.

2. A shoe tree comprising a heel member and a toe member having longitudinally overlapping side wall portions, said side wall portions of said toe member each having a plurality of substantially horizontally aligned openings, said side wall portions of said heel member lying outwardly of said side wall portions of said toe member and being formed of material possessing a degree of resiliency whereby they may be flexed away from said side wall portions of said toe member, and inwardly projecting aligned pins carried by said wall portions of said heel member and selectively engageable in said openings to adjust the length of the shoe tree and to pivotally connect said members to each other, said heel member having an encircling ankle portion whereby such portion 4 is of closed section to provide such portion with substantial rigidity, said ankle portion having a forward wall portion extending over and spaced from said toe member whereby said heel member is free to swing upwardly and forwardly to a limited extent relative to said heel member.

3. A shoe tree comprising a heel member and a toe member having longitudinally overlapping side wall portions, said side wall portions of said toe member each having a plurality of substantially horizontally aligned openings, said side Wall portions of said heel member lying outwardly of said side wall portions of said toe member and being formed of material possessing a degree of resiliency whereby they may be flexed away from said side wall portions of said toe member, and inwardly projecting aligned pins carried by said wall portions of said heel member and selectively engageable in said openings to adjust the length of the shoe tree and to pivotally connect said embers to each other, said heel member having an encircling ankle portion whereby such portion is of closed section to provide such portion with substantial rigidity, said toe member having an arched upper wall forming a continuation of said side wall portions of said toe member, said ankle portion having a forward wall portion the lower edge of which is normally spaced above said top wall of said toe member whereby said heel memher is free to swing upwardly and inwardly to a limited extent relative to said toe member.

4. A shoe tree comprising an integral toe member and an integral heel member, said toe member being of inverted U-shape in cross section providing downwardly extending side walls and an arched top wall forming a smooth continuation of said side walls, said heel member comprising an encircling upper ankle portion and lower side walls the forward portions of which lie outwardly of and normally in contact with the rear portions of said side walls of said toe member, the rear portions of the side walls of said toe member each having a plurality of substantially horizontally aligned circular openings, the side walls of said heel member adjacent the forward ends thereof being provided with inwardly extending aligned circular pins selectively engageable in said openings to adjust the length of the shoe tree and pivotally connect said heel member to said toe member, the side walls of said heel member adjacent said pins possessing a sufiicient degree of resiliency to provide for their outward flexing to release said pins from said openings, said angle portion of said heel member having a forward wall the lower edge of which is spaced from said top wall of said toe member whereby said heel member is free to swing upwardly and inwardly to a limited extent relative to said toe member.

5. A shoe tree comprising an integral toe member and an integral heel member, said toe member being of inverted U-shape in cross section providing downwardly extending side walls and an arched top wall forming a smooth continuation of said side walls, said heel member comprising an encircling upper ankle portion and lower side walls the forward portions of which lie outwardly of and normally in contact with the rear portions of said side walls of said toe member, the rear portions of the side walls of said toe member each having a plurality of substantially horizontally aligned circular openings, the side walls of said heel member adjacent the forward ends thereof being provided with inwardly extending aligned circular pins selectively engage- 5 able in said openings to adjust the lerigth of the shoe tree and pivotally connect said heel member to said toe member, the side Walls of said heel member adjacent said pins possessing'a sufficient degree of resiliency to provide for their outward flexing to release said pins from said openings, said ankle portion of said heel member having a forward wall the lower edge of which is spaced from said top Wall of said toe member whereby said heel member is free to swing upwardly and inwardly to a limited extent relative to said toe member, said heel member above the ankle portion thereof'being of reduced diameter and being provided thereabove with a knob molded integral with said heel member to provide a handle for the latter.

FRANK C. TROUTFE'I'IER.

REFERENCES The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

